The Miracles Of Friendship (Book 2 of the 'Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love' Series)

By Maha Devi Li Ra La

On their way to ultimate unification in the heavens of the Olympian Gods, the lovers Loriolan and Indirali, a merman prince and a Magna Graecian princess, along with their close friends, encounter impossible seeming odds that challenge them to the core of their beliefs and love for one another. One existential crisis after another leads them to realize the power of friendship, of companionship that supports selflessly in situations of crisis and need.
Thrown into the unknown to fend for themselves and find the way to Mount Olympos, the seat of the Gods, Indirali and her maid, Hedna, experience the challenges of travelling as women at a time of Roman control and oppression, societal poverty and hardship, spiritual corruption, and crime along the way. Forced to draw on powers from deep within, Indirali manages to turn hostile situations into opportunities for spiritual growth and victory over evil. At last she is able to meet one of the times’ greatest spiritual leaders and gain her help in directing her next steps on her grand journey towards meeting the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, on Mount Olympos.
Meanwhile, Torilander, Loriolan’s best friend and travel companion, experiences his version of hell amongst the arrogance of the human kingdom of Carthage. Held captive, the merman undergoes a series of encounters that bring him to the brink of either death or salvation, depending on what thought power he can manage to draw from: optimistic or pessimistic, positive or negative. And to his astonishment, the humans around him begin to react to his inner focus, and either new friendships can be fostered or enemies created.
Whether describing the heights of human emotions and experiences of friendship and love or leading the reader through hellish experiences created by human arrogance and feelings of superiority that oppress and subdue life in all its shapes and forms, Maha Devi Li Ra La demonstrates an uncanny grasp of human psychology that can be felt throughout her story, and which continually sheds light on the principles of truth as expressed in the law of karma that attracts according to the nature of human thought and action, as it also sheds light on dharma, the application of righteous action that alone creates a life of fulfillment and bliss.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maha Devi Li Ra La
• Release date: May 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781910518052

Maha Devi Li Ra La

Having studied spiritual knowledge from various sources and practiced daily meditation for many years, Maha Devi Li Ra La decided to incorporate her wisdom into a fiction novel that appeals to the young at heart, conveying higher truths in a highly entertaining and easily accessible way. As a child she enjoyed listening to fairy tales and was always fascinated with the character developments of the main protagonists, the morale of the story, and the happy endings that would inevitably follow any good deeds.Throughout her years of spiritual research, Maha Devi Li Ra La found that stories and analogies conveyed deep spiritual truth in all its simple and complex facets better than any factual explanations could often attain. As quantum physics realizes, the ultimate level of our physical universe exhibits characteristics of pure consciousness. It is established, as most ancient spiritual traditions have always emphasized, that our nature and world is transient and therefore mortal. Spiritual truth and practice, therefore, aim at ultimate realization or enlightenment in order to help the individual to reconnect with her/his immortal essence and awareness so as to not perish with her/his transient environment. Science nowadays acknowledges, as the powerful, timeless Vedic Knowledge System has always taught, that the outcome of any developmental process is altered according to the awareness and mental/spiritual focus of the onlooker or witness of such process. It is therefore of greatest importance to improve and enlighten the awareness of the aspirant of spiritual knowledge if fulfillment in all areas of life is desired.Addressing the intuitive mind and heart directly and powerfully with experiences and realizations the reader can identify with, stories are capable of triggering and accomplishing deep transformational processes where mere scientific facts often fail to convince the subconscious mind because of their fallible, transient nature that simply pale in the face of absolute, infallible truth. At some point in our history, scientists assumed the sun was supposedly circling our Earth; gradual progress in scientific realizations is reached in increments according to the level of collective awareness, whereas certain spiritual scriptures postulate unerringly what the ultimate truth looks and feels like, especially when a Divine Emanation happened to incarnate among us to teach us these eternal, timeless values. The legends of old that tell of such glorious and outstanding Emanations and their exemplary lives are timeless jewels in our historical literature and are revered amongst those who want nothing short of the highest truth. In her several volume comprising Grand Saga, Maha Devi Li Ra La aspires to express this ultimate truth with her portrayals of heroes and heroines who won’t be swayed from their paths of righteousness until the highest goals of enlightenment and unity consciousness are accomplished.The authoress is a firm believer in the law of karma that gives feedback according to the quality of an action, but even more so she believes that any challenge can be overcome through the Divine law of mercy, if only the individual can feel deserving enough for such an act of Divine forgiveness. Individual purification and mind transcending, she believes and demonstrates in this epic tale, help attract this forgiveness and inner equilibrium, catapulting the individual from his compromised and limiting beliefs and behaviors to the states of lasting happiness and peace.Maha Devi Li Ra La sees it her life’s purpose to create works of literature, music and art that reflect these truths and point her audiences in the direction of spiritual enlightenment and ultimate fulfillment.

Book preview

The Miracles Of Friendship

The Miracles Of Friendship

Maha Devi Li Ra La

Book 2 of the

Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love

Series

An Ananda Bliss Consciousness Book

Ananda Bliss Consciousness Inc

www.anandablissconsciousness.com

www.mahadevi-lirala.com

Book and Cover Design Copyright © 2015 Gabriele Brigitte Klonek

Book and Cover Design by Maha Devi Li Ra La

All rights reserved

ISBN: 978-1-910518-05-2

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to [e-mail]. This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Copyrighted in the United States of America

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Maha Devi Li Ra La

The Miracles Of Friendship

Book 2 of the

‘Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love’ Series

First Edition 2015

Table of Contents

Introduction

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

About the Authoress

Dedicated to all

who unconditionally love and serve,

for they create a better world.

Introduction

On their way to ultimate unification in the heavens of the Olympian Gods, the lovers Loriolan and Indirali, a merman prince and a Magna Graecian princess, along with their close friends, encounter impossible seeming odds that challenge them to the core of their beliefs and love for one another. One existential crisis after another leads them to realize the power of friendship, of companionship that supports selflessly in situations of crisis and need.

Thrown into the unknown to fend for themselves and find the way to Mount Olympos, the seat of the Gods, Indirali and her maid, Hedna, experience the challenges of travelling as women at a time of Roman control and oppression, societal poverty and hardship, spiritual corruption, and crime along the way. Forced to draw on powers from deep within, Indirali manages to turn hostile situations into opportunities for spiritual growth and victory over evil. At last she is able to meet one of the times’ greatest spiritual leaders and gain her help in directing her next steps on her grand journey towards meeting the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, on Mount Olympos.

Meanwhile, Torilander, Loriolan’s best friend and travel companion, experiences his version of hell amongst the arrogance of the human kingdom of Carthage. Held captive, the merman undergoes a series of encounters that bring him to the brink of either death or salvation, depending on what thought power he can manage to draw from: optimistic or pessimistic, positive or negative. And to his astonishment, the humans around him begin to react to his inner focus, and either new friendships can be fostered or enemies created.

Whether describing the heights of human emotions and experiences of friendship and love or leading the reader through hellish experiences created by human arrogance and feelings of superiority that oppress and subdue life in all its shapes and forms, Maha Devi Li Ra La demonstrates an uncanny grasp of human psychology that can be felt throughout her story, and which continually sheds light on the principles of truth as expressed in the law of karma that attracts according to the nature of human thought and action, as it also sheds light on dharma, the application of righteous action that alone creates a life of fulfillment and bliss.

Preface

This is a spiritual fantasy novel about the power of true love and the Divine qualities it conjures from the depths of our souls. The story is fictional and loosely based on historical facts. By no means does the authoress claim historical accuracy. Nevertheless, an attempt was made to draw on the historical facts of the time period around 270 B.C. to support the storyline and characters of this novel. The story originates in Magna Graecia, Greek colonies located on the Italian Peninsula, and evolves through defining scenes taking place in additional locations and cultures, including Ancient Greece, Macedonia, and the Roman and Phoenician Empires, as well as the World Oceans.

The Within The Ocean Of Eternal Love book series is a vibrant epic tale that resurrects many of Ancient Greece’s most powerful and enigmatic Gods and Goddesses to either support or wreak havoc on mankind, depending on their unique traits and inclinations. Underwater Realms of exotic beauty and sunken marvels of a glorious past from long ago invite the reader to explore the oceanic depths alongside the protagonists, to rejoice in pleasant mer-folk company and sweat under the pressures of larger-than-life challenges that test the heroes and heroines to the core.

Fairies and elves enlivening the mystical forests add to the fairy tale and fantasy character of the novel; enchanting scenes of great spiritual meaning open the reader’s mind to higher truths and realities. This is not a story that can easily be categorized; it is an epic tale of the kind that will still be read and appreciated a hundred years from now, for it is timeless in its message, and transforming and uplifting in its wonderfully deep impact on our souls. Let yourself be entertained by the absorbing, suspenseful adventures the heroes and heroines go through, and come out the winner in the end, as true epics always reward you with a satisfying ending that is equal to the protagonists’ persistence and investment in their own self-transformation and personal growth.

Chapter 1

n their way back, neither Eurylochos nor Indirali feels like talking much; the revelations of the Oracle aimed at deep soul levels and need to now be reflected on and integrated. Eurylochos feverishly racks his brain as to how he can win the upper hand over his priesthood, now that he still has the advantage of knowing about their decadent and treacherous ways before they begin to suspect they are found out. The Oracle suggested initiating as many citizens into meditation as possible in order to soften the collective atmosphere of stress, anger, and fear, but for that to happen, he needs to get his hands on the many sacred texts the priests have stored away from his awareness and access. He knows he needs to be diplomatic about his approach, but right now all he feels is anger and frustration that he allowed himself to be fooled by them for so long and to such a large extent. He feels little mercy for these traitors who misled his people into believing they are the chosen spiritual elite, all the while sitting on a treasure big enough to solve every citizen’s financial problems. In light of this profound betrayal, Poseidon’s wrath seems almost justified, for Eurylochos’ ignorance and gullibility as the King of Lucania has certainly contributed to the hardship of his people, and of course, he now wishes nothing more than to remedy the situation in accordance with divine law and mercy. Nevertheless, he sees no other choice than to march into the temple with his guards and take control of the hidden library, a wealth of knowledge he can under no circumstances risk forever losing into the hands of disloyalists who won’t use it for the benefit of all of society.

Indirali, also, is immersed in her thoughts on how to proceed on her path, now that she was made aware of the potential pitfalls and dangers that might await her and Hedna on their long journey, crossing the volatile ocean to get to their final destination, Mount Olympos, the seat of the Gods. With anxious anticipation, she tries to think of a beautiful melody she wants to use to attract Zephyros to her cause, but then she remembers the Oracle’s words to not let her intellect dominate her attempt to please him but to rather allow the tunes to stream from her heart and soul, the places deep within that are most intimately connected with the Divine Source, and which alone is able to inspire and provide the most touching, elevating, and ravishing melodies possible for any human to express. And so Indirali decides to let the courage and trust in a good outcome that she feels deeply within her heart take over her thoughts and feelings, and not worry about what is to come, for she knows that her infinite love for Loriolan is the best guidepost she could ever have, one that will unfailingly guide her to her lofty goal.

And so the both of them walk side by side, the sun setting and darkness starting to spread, with the sickle moon thankfully lighting their way to some extent, both silently aware of the fact that their ways are about to part, and that the pain of separation and the fear of the unknown need to stay repressed if they want to be able to let go of each other with a smile of support and encouragement for each other’s destinies. Indirali notices how her inner restlessness seems to exclude the fairy kingdom from her awareness, unlike during their walk this early afternoon when her good mood and open mind allowed her to perceive the ethereal figures of the beautiful meadow and forest spirits, who laughingly and playfully interacted with her at times in telepathic ways, prompting her to laugh with them about the many cheerful things they undertook and sometimes demonstrated for her delight. She understands that it takes a cheerful attitude to be able to see these delicate, uplifting spirits and that her present somber attitude eclipses their reality from hers. But as she centers herself into a peaceful state, she begins to see several of the forest spirits again, who seem to be getting ready to fall asleep with the sunset. Indirali waves them good-night, and they dreamily respond with a wave back, wishing her well on her further journey, thankfully nodding at her for her open heart and mind that allow her to perceive them.

The two wanderers arrive late at night at the farmhouse, with several servants still awake to hurry out and welcome them back. After a hearty meal, the two tired souls retire to bed to find well-deserved sleep before their big trip begins in the morning.

Great excitement hangs in the air the next morning, as everyone gets ready to leave. Eurylochos gives his last advice to his daughter, hoping she will heed it and no misfortune will befall her on her long journey; otherwise his heart might break if she wouldn’t return home safely. The Princess’s garments were exchanged for some rugged men’s wear, and, per Indirali’s request, both Hedna and she were dressed up to look like stable boys, their hair pinned up and under a wig, all to avoid unwanted attention and to minimize being attacked by robbers and other scum. Everyone admires their looks and has to admit that they make a fine couple of lads, handsome to look at and sure to turn some women’s heads around if they are not careful. Several guards jokingly try to teach the girls how to behave and walk as a man, somewhat exaggerating the differences between a woman’s and a man’s gait and posture. Everyone has a good laugh as the girls try to imitate the men. They agree they will have to practice quite a lot in order to pass as members of the male gender.

Finally, the moment of departure arrives, and with one last big, heartfelt hug, Indirali takes her farewell from her father. With tears in her eyes, she mounts the carriage her father brought along for her and Hedna, a royal carriage they had turned into a casual looking transport vehicle, with the royal emblem removed, and some wear and tear added to it for more authenticity. And even though Eurylochos wanted to have at least two guards accompany his daughter, he relented in the end, allowing just one guard to go along for her protection, because Indirali thought it wise to stay even more under the radar by not looking too wealthy to anyone who might make it their business to check them out. And so with a heavy heart, he waves good-bye to his daughter, watching her carriage leave and turn the corner to vanish from his sight. With a tear in his eye, he turns towards his own carriage, mounts it, and begins his own journey home, home to his beloved wife who awaits him with her sad heart, for their daughter has left, and all they are left with are their prayers for her success and safe return.

Indirali and Hedna look at each other, their eyes full of trepidation and curiosity as to what comes next. Then they smile and turn their heads to look out at the beautiful mountainous nature their carriage bumpily drives through, and soon the heaviness of departure yields to a feeling of newfound freedom and high hopes. They begin to joke at their new and changed looks, coming up with all sorts of funny gestures and behaviors they think a man would express, and which — compared to their graceful, feminine movements — seem relatively coarse and uninspiring. They each think of a male name to identify themselves with from now on, with Indirali’s being Apollinaris, according to the handsome God Apollo, and Hedna’s being Leonidas, for she thinks it wise to identify with the power of a lion in order to conjure the inner strength to meet any upcoming challenges adequately. The names make them feel even manlier and trigger all sorts of funny reactions from them, like trying to express each other’s names with as low a voice as possible, or singing old folk songs with a man’s voice, songs that allow them to express themselves as rambunctiously as their hearts desire. And so they have a blast laughing at each other’s attempts to come across as manly and boastfully as possible without being too exaggerated and ridiculous in their efforts. Sometimes Eusebios, their coachman, joins their laughter, as the girls’ laughter sounds rather joyous and infectious to his ears, and he likes nothing more than to hear the Princess being silly and playful, having a good start into her adventure he has the special privilege to be a part of. His job is to bring her and her maidservant safely to the Eastern shore, to the harbor city of Brundisium, in the country of Calabria. For that, they will have to travel south through the mountain range of Mount Alburnus along the Tanager River, then turn eastward towards the little town of Grumentum, find the River Aciris, and follow it to the coastal town of Heraclea. From then on, they will move along the coast of Lucania until they enter the country of Apulia for a short period, follow its southern shoreline into Calabria, and take a rest in the town of Taras, from where they will follow the eastbound Appian Way towards their final destination of Magna Graecia, the city of Brundisium, a place of much commerce and trade, with ships going in and out of its harbor all the time, trying to reach overseas destinations to enliven the economies of several countries of Magna Graecia — at least this is what he remembers from a long time ago. He also heard that much distress has befallen the seafaring world since Poseidon cursed humanity for being so arrogant and destructive to nature and the oceans, and has, since then, begun to systematically destroy many proud ship lines and wealthy owners, leaving traders without the means to exchange their goods with each other across the sea and borders. Eusebios is curious to see how life in Brundisium looks like nowadays, and whether he can help find a reliable, friendly captain whose ship can take the Princess and her maid across the Adriatic Sea.

And so the party of three continues to bump along the dirt path through a mountain canyon, letting their spirits soar and being of good cheer, for Indirali is finally enjoying the taste of freedom and self-responsibility. At lunchtime, the travelers arrive at an inn outside of Grumentum and decide to take a break to get refreshed again for their further trip.

Eusebios wants to stay with the horses, and Indirali says she will have the waitress bring out some food to him. Then the two girls-turned-men enter the inn, ready to sit and have a good meal. But how strange it is for Indirali to step into a place without being the center of attention, and without anyone moving aside to let her through. She has to adjust to this fact, and thinks it will be easier over time. But not only does the crowd ignore the two strangers, it seems the innkeepers are completely absorbed with serving a bunch of half-drunk guests, who scream at the top of their lungs for more and more of the food, meat, and wine, drowning out any requests Indirali tries to send across the room to the hurrying waitresses and preoccupied innkeepers. Several times the two girls are pushed aside in rough and inconsiderate ways, treated as if they are a nuisance, who better leave before they get either trampled on or thrown out of the inn. Increasingly desperate with the situation, Indirali raises her voice, trying to sound as baritone as possible, commanding the innkeeper to take heed of their needs, determined to not take ‘No’ for an answer. That, for some reason, seems to finally get the innkeeper’s attention. With sweat on his forehead, he apologizes for the hustle and bustle in his place and leads the two young men to a small table in the rear of the inn. The girls order three plates of food, asking for two of them to be without meat, and for the third to be brought out to Eusebios, their coachman. The innkeeper looks at them with puzzlement; all he understood is to have one plate brought outside and the other two brought to them. To want a meal without meat does not seem to register within his range of understanding, and so the girls deem it wise to leave the innkeeper to his reality and have him bring the kind of food he is used to. For the last thing they want is to draw unwanted and potentially dangerous attention to themselves, odd as they already must come across as such gentle-looking men. The innkeeper acknowledges their order, then turns around to take care of some ruffians who have started to complain about the delays, ready to throw some food items towards the bar to draw the attention back to them. The girls try to look the other way, for the atmosphere seems harsh and provocative, and to get involved in this debasing interaction could easily reveal their charade and turn the situation bitterly against them. Inside, however, they hope to be served some food fast so they can be out of this place as quickly as possible. Every minute in this joint feels like hell, especially since one of the inconsiderate guys begins to address them, wanting to know all about where they are from and where they are off to, all the while boasting about his prey caught today from the woods, because the group are hunters, and as such — it seems — the world belongs to them. Fortunately, Indirali and Hedna have their story straight, saying they are sons of a farmer who want to try their luck as shipmates on one of the ships leaving the harbor at Heraclea. This story seems good enough for the curious guy, and with a big belch and roar he joins in with his buddies again, who all toast each other on their big feat, escalating into a thunderous song-like roar that further emphasizes their unbreakable bond of lower-self brotherhood.

After what seems like an eternity, the girls get two platters with the most simple and coarse-looking meal they must ever have gotten served. They look at each other with hesitation, but then Hedna takes a bite, chews it carefully as if to test it out for her Mistress, then lifts her thumb as if to attest to its edibility. Gingerly, Indirali takes her first bite, then swallows the plain tasting food down as if to resign herself to her fate as a simple boy from the country who doesn’t know any better and who therefore doesn’t miss the refined, delicious cuisine of the palace, with all the fresh and vital fruits and vegetables that are harvested daily from the many gardens surrounding the palace. She gives herself an inner push, resolved to humbly endure any hardships that may present themselves to her along the way, knowing that it is all part of a higher testing and that pride should be the least of her problems. Both of them, however, can’t force themselves to eat the meat and therefore only eat the side dishes, of which there are hardly any. The meal is quite unsatisfying for them, but all that matters is that they get something into their stomachs. And so the two girls eat quietly, aware to not draw any attention to themselves if they can help it, trying to remain as invisible and inconspicuous as possible.

After they get the innkeeper’s attention long enough to pay for their food, they make their way out, glad to be released from the fangs of hell without much unwanted entanglement and confrontation. And as they walk up to the stables, they become aware of a big cart the hunters must have parked right outside the inn, with one man guarding what seems to be a big pile of bloody animal corpses, prey they must have all killed and gathered throughout their triumphant day, and which now triggers immense revolt in the girls; their stomachs turning as if to throw up, they run past the stinking nuisance to escape this sad reality that so many people participate in without much regret and awareness of the subtle interrelations they share with the animal world. All the girls can think of is to get to Eusebios and to get the heck out of this unfortunate place. The stable is big, with lots of hay stacked up and several horses munching complacently around the barn. Where is Eusebios? They begin to shout his name, hoping to see his face any moment, but receive no answer. Worried, they look in all the corners and behind all walls and haystacks for their coachman, only to come out empty-handed. Where is he? He certainly wouldn’t have left them to their own fate! Eusebios is one of Indirali’s father’s most loyal and longstanding guards, a man of high integrity and honor. With slight panic in their face, they run out to ask the hunters’ guard whether he saw their coachman, describing to him exactly how Eusebios looks, but the man just grins at them and tells them he saw nothing of the kind, and to go inside and ask any of the other men whether they saw their man. Clueless, the girls look around. They know that Eusebios did not enter the inn; he therefore must be around somewhere out here. And so they thank the guard for his attention, then continue looking in the farther vicinity of the inn, searching in ever-larger circles around the perimeter only to find nothing, no trace of him whatsoever. They decide to ask the innkeeper whether Eusebios received any food, but the innkeeper can’t even remember the girls ordering the extra plate. The girls are close to collapsing. What vicious game are these people playing on them? Is the world already completely against them before they even had the opportunity to get anywhere far or to a location of any real significance? Trying to repress their tears, as any man would do, they keep searching for their coachman, because until they know of his fate, Indirali doesn’t feel comfortable to continue on with her journey. He might be hurt and injured for that matter, and to leave him to such questionable, unknown fate is beyond her sense of urgency to get on with her journey as quickly as possible.

Persistently, the girls keep looking, reaching farther and farther off the beaten path, and finally after several hours of painstaking search, they come across what looks like a big hole carved out from the ground, with Eusebios moaning quietly when he hears them shouting his name. Aghast, they find him lying in that hole, cramped up with pain, because someone must have beaten him up thoroughly from the looks of it, his face bleeding and many bruises showing all over his body. Feverishly, they look around to find a stick long enough for Eusebios to hold on to and be pulled up by them. They encourage him to hold on while they get ready to pull him out, but it turns out Eusebios is unable to stand on his feet because his right knee is twisted out of its socket. Anxiously, the girls want to know who did this to him, but he is unable to speak coherently at this point, the pain showing starkly on his face. Indirali jumps into the hole to help prop him up and do her best to push him up while Hedna holds the long branch as strongly and unwaveringly as she can. Finally, after many excruciating attempts, Eusebios is out, and all collapse on the ground to take a breather from the ordeal. Slowly, Eusebios comes to his senses enough to convey how three masked men took him by surprise while he was brushing the horses, gagged him, threw him into the carriage, harnessed the horses to it, and began to race wildly into the forest with him, where after a while they stopped, being far enough from the inn, to beat him up severely and throw him into this big hole they must have either known about or shoveled out themselves for exactly this kind of purpose. Eusebios is distraught that the carriage and horses are lost, and his leg is injured to the extent that he can hardly walk by himself anymore. He feels a broken man who regrets deeply to have let the Princess and his King down in such an embarrassing and unfortunate way. But Indirali doesn’t want to hear of it. With words of encouragement and compassion, she tries to lift his spirits, telling him that he has served her father for many years unfailingly, and that this misfortune that just happened should not find her father’s ears, for it would surely make her parents sick with worry to hear that such calamity has befallen